So, I'm not usually one to do this, but I just tasted the first AG batch that I made using a recipe that I developed. It's a blackstrap molasses porter (a couple pics below) and it's DELICIOUS. I can't believe I made this in my own basement! What a great hobby!

Thanks rex. Yeah, this surprised me... I developed the recipe envisioning a flavour profile I thought I would like, and this came out beyond my best expectations. I used 10oz. of blackstrap for a 5 gal batch. There is a little bit of a lingering molasses tang towards the finish, but it's not at all overpowering and really pleasant. The residual sweetness of the molasses is nicely balanced with a predominant dark chocolate flavour and nice hop bitterness. I also added more black patent than most porter recipes call for and I used Safbrew T-58, which imparts a bit of spiciness too. I think the added complexity is what keeps the blackstrap from overwhelming the flavour profile.